I love clothes. I can’t remember exactly when this love affair began but I attribute it to both my parents (my mum has four wardrobes, no less, and my dad was always keen on fashion and looking good). As a teenager, I began to experiment with vintage and retro items and following minor studies in Fashion (among other creative disciplines) at university, I began to curate a wardrobe containing, realistically, more items than I could count, let alone wear. My vast collection now comprises an eclectic mix of high street, fast fashion, vintage and handmade with items ranging from family gems I’ll never part with and firm favourite style staples, to quick-fix, impulse purchases that will no doubt rarely be worn and will one day be sold or passed on, or donated to charity.
The pre-parent me had a wardrobe clearout every once in a while but didn’t see having a streamlined, organised, capsule collection of items as a priority. The ‘old me’ could quite easily try on multiple outfits (at best wasting lots of time and at worst, making me late) until I found the right thing to wear. I am not proud, but my husband will attest to the fact that I did, once or twice, practically empty my whole wardrobe only to declare that I had ‘nothing to wear’.
As any parent will tell you, organisation is key. Time becomes more precious. Me time, time with your partner, time with friends/family, time with your little one- it’s the one thing that always feels compromised. As a new mum, initially, the thought of dressing your new body is quite intimidating, as is the idea of going clothes shopping with a tiny baby! I quickly learnt that getting dressed whilst looking after my daughter was much more of an anxiety-inducing sprint than the leisurely activity it once was and that if I wished to leave the house in anything other than pyjamas, I needed to overhaul my approach.
With ‘organisation’ as my new buzzword, over the past 10 months, I have slowly re-learnt how best to style my burgeoning wardrobe for a busy lifestyle as a mum, wife and full-time teacher, small business owner and daughter, sister, niece, aunt, friend etc.
I have by no means cured my addiction to clothes and ironically, with post-maternity attire and my pre-baby clothes all still present, my wardrobe is bigger than ever. It’s a work in progress.
Here are my top tips so far:
Whenever possible, choose your outfit the night before. And iron it, if necessary. Check the weather for a heads-up incase you need a plan B. I can hear my old self laughing at the irony as I write this, but it would be asking the impossible for me to ever get to work on time if I didn’t at least try to do this most days. An ex-colleague (and mum of two) was rumoured to spend her Sunday night planning and preparing outfits for the week ahead. Wow, but respect.
If it needs frequent ironing or specialist cleaning- don’t buy it! To be fair, I bought ‘unlikely to need ironing’ clothes long before motherhood, but I must say, it does save precious time and reduce anxiety in the morning and means that I don’t spend my downtime ironing my way through a pile of creased, can’t be worn clothes. Also, unless you have a very cheap dry cleaner to hand, having baby sick and food smears removed from those cashmere knits and silk tops could get pricey.
Trust your go-to-items. I don’t think I’m alone in saying that inspite of owning hundreds of garments, I have my favourites. Staple pieces that are flattering, comfortable, easy to wear and can be dressed up or down for most occasions. My maternity leave was spent mostly in black skinny jeans (or leggings in the early days!), a tunic dress/top and trainers. I’ve broadened my repertoire since, but really, I’m saying that if you know what you like and it works for you, whether cheap or expensive, invest in items that make you happy. Make getting dressed fuss-free and conserve stress for the bigger things. Warning: just don’t get stuck in a mum uniform style rut- see my next point.
Don’t keep things ‘for best’. That white dress you think you can’t wear with kids? The sequin top for nights out? The lace/silk chiffon dress for weddings? Get them out and mix up how you style them. Otherwise, you are essentially storing ornaments in your wardrobe. Try sequins with denim, nice dresses with knitwear and trainers and as for white…go for it, just keep some baby wipes to hand and don’t cook beetroot for dinner!
I am not advocating that you buy more but for most women, having a baby results in a (even if temporary) bigger body and in my case, different shape. Although almost back to my before baby size, the fit of some of my clothes has changed. When you do shop for your new self, try things that you didn’t like on yourself before. I’ve discovered that I like myself much more now in a midiskirt and jumpsuit than I did pre-pregnancy, and am wearing different necklines to compliment my new bustline too. Since ‘popping into town’ has become near impossible with a little one, I’ve learnt to shop smarter; combining an afternoon nap/stroll with the pushchair via my local charity shop or downloading apps on my phone allowing me to browse and buy whilst feeding. A bonus being that I can try on in the comfort of home and with my other things. Double bonus- returns are usually free.
Lastly, and perhaps most challenging…be realistic. Having an enormous wardrobe is great if you have time to maintain and enjoy all of those outfits, which is unrealistic for most mums I know. I’ll never own a capsule wardrobe (I read somewhere that the ideal is 37 items- yeah right?!) but getting rid of things that I know deep down aren’t ‘me’ anymore or are unlikely to ever fit well again is just sensible, as well as time-saving. Take a deep breadth, try it all on (with neutral underwear that works with everything) and create a keep, maybe and a get rid pile. Streamlining by just a few pieces can make all the difference, and will feel even better if you pass them on to a good home or get some pennies for them by reselling.
Time-saving quick-fixes:
The mum bun. Takes seconds, lasts all day and thankfully looks better slightly dischevelled (which is good since time and free hands are hard to come by with a baby!) See Pinterest and you tube for inspiration and a step by step how to.
Lipstick. If applying full make up is a distant memory, having a great lipstick on will instantly lift your face and elevate your look from tired mum to ready to go bring it on mum. It takes seconds and can be applied on the run. My favourites are by Rimmel and Chanel.
Dresses. My current wardrobe is a work in progress but I do know the power of a great dress. Easy to style under a jacket and over some skinny black trousers for work and with knits and trainers at weekends. I’m a fan of vintage, minimal prints and oversize, and drop waist with great tailoring and details that show quality. I shop secondhand and on the highstreet.
A great everyday handbag that goes with everything. I was on a quest for a long time to find my black leather cross body bag but it was worth the wait. Small enough not to break my back yet holds all the essentials and frees up my hands for mum duties. I’d recommend Radley (mine was bought on sale after Christmas).
Simple jewellery. I was a big fan of dainty gold layered necklaces pre-baby so felt quite naked without any adornment. I’ve recently begun to reintroduce these back into my wardrobe for work but would have been lost without the teething jewellery that I bought for my maternity leave. Brands are becoming more fashion conscious now too, so wearing a teething necklace no longer feels like a style sacrifice. Organic Mama is great, or Etsy.
Finally, be bold and be brave. Getting my figure back has boosted my confidence sufficiently to have fuelled my love of leopard print, which I’d previously been fairly shy in wearing. I also now have a yellow raincoat which now makes me feel cheerful (and dry!) as opposed to attention-seeking. What have you got to lose?
In conclusion, for a lover of clothes like me, pregnancy and maternity have proved challenging and done nothing to help my bursting wardrobe! However, with my return to work imminent, I have armed myself with a few style short cuts and new mantras and am optimistic about spending a bit less time worrying about how to dress best, leaving me more time to do all the other stuff!
Mamathrift
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